Game board



my 239 wh J. A. CLARK GAME BOARD Filed April 26, 1945 Patented July 23,1946

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE GAME BOARD Joseph Arthur Clark, South Bend, Ind.

Application April 26, 1943, Serial No. 484,520

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a game board, and more particularly to a game board or table having marginally positioned means for causing a ball rolled thereon izo-rebound. One use of the game board is as a billiard game board.

Game boards of this type have been made by providing a rigid, unyielding marginal member which lacks the resilience necessary for a lively rebound of a game piece, by providing a marginal member with a resilient marginal cushion, and by providing a taut wire arranged as the game piece rebound member. The last named type possesses many of the advantages desired, but all constructions heretofore devised have had at least one serious deficiency, namely, the provision of dead points at which the wire is rigidly supported and restrained against vibration, with the result that the desired lively rebound action of a game piece therefrom can be obtained at selected portions only of the wire.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a game board whose playing area is bounded by taut wires so mounted, supported and arranged that substantially uniform vibration or resilience is obtained at all ball-contacting portions thereof.

A further object is to provide a game board having a playing area bounded by wires positioned thereabove in inwardly spaced relation to the adjacent edges of the board and arranged in freely intersecting relation, with the securing and positioning means for the wires positioned in outwardly spaced relation to said intersections and said playing area.

A further object is to provide a game board having a playing area bounded by wires stretched thereabove at game-piece-engaging elevation and in inwardly spaced relation to the edges of said board, wherein said board has marginal openings projecting into said playing area and adapted to receive and discharge from said area a game piece projected therein.

Other objects will be apparent from the description, drawing and appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a top plan view of one embodiment of the invention. I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sec- `tional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4, illustrating another embodiment of the invention,

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the numeral I0 designates the marginal frame for a flat panel II. Frame I0 is preferably formed from cleats having an upper portion I2 of reduced width and defining a stepped or shouldered cross-section for marginal support of the panel at I3, whereby the panel I3 lies below the upper edge of frame I 0. The cleats are rigidly interconnected in any suitable manner and the resultant frame may be reinforced to form a strong rigid fiat unit. Panel II may be formed of any suitable rigidl material such as plywood, hard composition board or the like, which is strong enough to resist distortion and bending under normal conditions of use. A cloth or felt cover sheet (not shown) may be applied over panel I I, if desired.

A xture or bracket I5 is secured to the upper face of each of the frame cleats adjacent to but spaced from each end thereof. The brackets I5 are formed from rigid metal sheet or plate stock, and preferably comprise a flat base portion I6 and an upwardly off-set gooseneck or longitudinally reversely bent end portion Il. The base portion I6 is apertured to receive a screw I8 or other securing member, and the gooseneck portion I'I extends inwardly therefrom in such position as to provide a convex upwardly facing and upwardly off-set surface. Certain of the brackets may be secured to the frame by means of screws having circumferentially grooved heads I9 or the like, for purposes to be described.

One or more wires are secured to the game board to provide taut wire runs 20 extending between opposed brackets I-5 in adjacent inwardly spaced relation to the frame cleats and spaced above the frame and the panel II with their end portions intersecting. As here shown, two wires are employed, although this number is merely illustrative, as only one wire may be used or any number of wires up to the number of sides of the frame IIJ may be used. In the form illustrated, one end of each wire is fxedly secured, as at ZI, to the base portion I6 of a bracket; I5, as by means of the screw I8 which secures said bracket to the frame. The wire passes over the bracket gooseneck II and across the table in a run 2U for engagement with gooseneck I'I of the opposite bracket. The wire is then bent around a retainer or guide, such as the grooved head I 9 of the screw which secures said opposite bracket, and then extends diagonally at 22 across the corner of the game board to the other bracket adjacent said corner, where it is bent around the retainer I9 on the screw which secures said other bracket and is passed over the gooseneck l1 of the same and across the table in another run 20 to the opposite bracket. The end portion 23 of the wire passes over the gooseneck l1 of the last named bracket, around the edge of the frame, and is secured to adjusting screw '2a. The screw 24 is so constructed that it may be rotated to adjust the tension of the wire, i. e. to draw it taut. The wire is preferably hard spring wire, similar to piano wire,

It will be noted that the end portions of the wire runs 20 intersect and contact each other in inwardly spaced relation to brackets .|l andirarne I0 and at portions thereof which may vibrate freely. These runs denne the playing area ofthe game board upon which the game pieces, such as balls or marbles 25, are free to roll or move. The wires are positioned vby bracket portions I1 at a level orelevation above the panel I l approximately equal to .the radius of the game pieces. Consequently, the game pieces rebound therefrom when projected thereagainst. Oli primary importance is the fact that the resilience of the runs is substantially unifor-m at all points thereof, including the points of intersection. Thus dead spots are entirely avoided. Note that the intersection points, .as well as the intermediate portions oi the runs, are vibratory, and that the bracket goosenecks I1 are somewhat resilient. Hence a game piece or ball which is projected or rolled intoa corner, that is, which is so projected that it strikes two angularly disposed runs adjacent their intersection simultaneously, has substantially the same rebound as when projected against lan intermediate point of `a run. This action is achieved by the anchorage of the ends of the runs in outwardly spaced relation to the playing area and to the resilient gooseneck portions ,Il upon which the wires Vmerely bear, and is particularly important where the game board is in- Atendedfor use in a game of billiards. Y

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 `to 6 is an adaptation of the invention for use in playing pocket billiards. The basic construction is the same as in the preferred embodiment and similar parts bear the same reference numerals. In .this embodiment, .portions of the panel Il at Vits Acorners and at central points along its longitudinal margins are cut away at 25, preferably at a bevel. The .openings 26 extend from the edges of the panels to points within the playing area, i. e. inwardly of the adjacent wire runs 4and spaced from said -runs at their innermost edge portions a distance slightly greater than the diameter of a ball. Pockets 21 may .be secured beneath the openings 26 to receive garneelements dropping through said openings. These pockets may 'be formed from leather, lfabric or other flexible material having marginal lportions 28 adhered or otherwise secured Vto the panel AI l around openings 26, marginal portions 29 secured to the bottom of frame members lil, .and marginal portions 311 secured to the inner faces of the frame members I0.

V'.lhe inner Vedges of the openings y26 4are 'preferably curved,V although "other shapes may be used with .equal facility, VThe primary requirementis that the openings beso formed and related .to theadiacent runor :runs -of the wire rebound member, that .a 4properly directed game piece may drop therein .and pass freely Ybelow the wire. Thesize-andlshape of l.the openings A26 may be so proportioned t0 the size of the game ele- 4 ments or balls as to allow certain limited tolerances from exact aim to result successfully in directing a game piece into the pocket. These tolerances may be carefully calculated to correspond to those in a conventional pocket billiard table. Thus the conditions of .play in a lpocket billiard game are closely simulated and approximately the same degree of accuracy and skill required for billiards is also requiredY for the instant rgame,

It will be noted that ldead `or non-vibrating spots or points in the rebound members are lavoided in this pocket billiard embodiment as in Y :the first embodiment.

Another and alternative structure for a pocket 'billiard table fis illustrated in Fig. 6. The openings 25 are formed in the same manner and the 'same Vrelation as in the Fig. 3 embodiment. The

pockets fbelow said openings are formed by cavities 3l in blocks 32, secured to the frame and to the panel. Cavities 3| register with said openings and are sufciently deep to permit a `game piece to pass under the adjacent wire or Wires. These cavities may also be enlarged or elongated at 3`3 in directions parallel to the frame and between the frame and the wire to receive and retain a plurality of game pieces ina position Yaway from the mouth of the pocket inwardly of the wire, whereby a number of game pieces may be successively discharged into each pocket without interference from game pieces previously discharged therein.

I claim:

l. .A game board comprising a rigid lat'panel, a plurality of runs of wire spanning said panel and spaced thereabove in freely intersecting relation adjacent to the corners of said panel toV de-` ne a closed playing area in the central portion of said panel, a vplurality of elongated brackets secured to said panel in outwardly spaced relation to .said .playing area `and including an outwardly positioned lat base and an integral inwardly directed upwardly .off-set gooseneck portion terminating above said panel and outwardly of said `playing area, said wire runs bearing against said gooseneck portions, and means spaced outwardly from and at a level below said gooseneck .portions for tensioning said runs. Y

'2. iA game board comprising a rigid .ilat panel, a marginal frame therefor, a plurality of runs vof taut wire spanning said panely at an elevation thereabove -to denne a closed Aplaying area spaced inwardly of said frame., wire'positoning members carried by said frame, said wire runs intersecting at vibratory portions thereof, said panel having an opening at its marginal portion and extending into said playing area, and a closure -for said opening below ythelevel of said panel and denin'g a pocket.

3. A pocket billiard game board comprising a rigid flat panel, a marginal frame therefor, said panel having a recess in its marginal portion, a pair of brackets secured to said frame at each side thereof spaced from the fends thereof, rebound means dening a playing area 'on said panel and including 'a plurality of Vibratory 4intersecting runs of wire extending between and supported by opposed brackets, and :means positioned 'outwardly of said playing area for 'tensioning Ysaid runs, said recess extending .into said playing area to receive a ball below the adjacent run.

4. jA Ypocket .billiard game board adapted 'for use with ballslrollable thereon, comprising Tal-rigid ilat vpanel having a lmarginal opening, a continnous marginal trame supportingsaid .-panel; .a plurality of brackets carried by said frame spaced from the corners thereof, a plurality of vibratory runs of wire intersecting at intermediate vibratory portions thereof and supported by said brackets outwardly of said intersections to define a continuous vibratory rebound means for said balls, and means positioned outwardly of said rebound means for tensioning said runs, at least a portion of the inner edge of said opening being spaced inwardly from said rebound means a distance greater than the diameter of a ball to receive and freely discharge a ball .rolling therein.

5. A pocket billiard game board adapted for use with balls rollable thereon, comprising a continuous marginal frame, a rigid at panel carried by and spanning said frame and having a mar-` ginal opening, a ball receiving member closing said opening and depressed below the playing surface a distance greater than the radius of a ball, a plurality of brackets carried by said frame spaced from the corners thereof and each having an elevated portion, a plurality of Vibratory runs of wire intersecting at intermediate vibratory portions thereof and supported by the elevated portions of said brackets outwardly of said intersections at an elevation above said panel approximately equal to the radius of said balls to define a continuous vibratory rebound means for said balls, and means positioned outwardly of the elevated4 portions of said brackets for tensioning said runs, at least a portion of the inner edge of said opening being spaced inwardly from said rebound means a distance suicient for passage of a ball therebetween.

JOSEPH ARTHUR CLARK. 

